Plans for a proposed Center Grove area hotel that drew concerns from neighbors have been withdrawn.
Amanda Cottingham, the owner of the Barn at Bay Horse Inn event venue, said in a statement that the plans asking for the city to rezone 6.5 acres are being withdrawn while she and her team work to get more information.
She still wants to develop the hotel, and thinks it is still needed in the community, she said in the statement.
“All I want is to once again provide a much needed amenity that will contribute to the economic growth in Greenwood,” Cottingham said in the statement.
The hotel, which was proposed to be on the property of the event venue off Stones Crossing Road, would offer a place to stay for guests attending weddings and other events at the Barn at Bay Horse Inn and throughout the Center Grove area, including youth sports tournaments, conferences and meetings. That is an amenity the city of Greenwood lacks, she said in the statement.
Last month, Cottingham had asked for her rezoning request to be delayed until the Greenwood City Council meeting April 16, while they worked to gather more information, including renderings of the project.
“My team spent the last four weeks working tirelessly to put together our presentation for the April 16 council meeting. However, while I appreciate all the time and effort, I simply feel at this time we don’t have all the details and information needed to move forward with this proposal,” Cottingham said in the statement.
Cottingham emphasized the support she has received for the project and that she will continue to build those relationships in the community.
Residents came to a planning commission meeting in February and a city council meeting in March to raise concerns about the project, which they feared would increase traffic in the area, lead to more commercial development and impact their property values.
Members of the planning commission unanimously voted to give the proposed hotel a negative recommendation because the comprehensive plan calls for the area to be residential. Their recommendation goes to the city council, who makes the final decision on whether the property should be rezoned for commercial use, which is needed before a hotel could be built.
